PESHAWAR: The Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association (FAPUASA) has joined the Peshawar University Teachers Association (PUTA) in its ongoing class boycott and extended it to all the universities in the province besides announcing an extended protest drive to press the government and management of the universities concerned for acceptance of their demands which they termed genuine.
Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association’s general body met at the Islamia College University on Monday with its provincial president Dr Sartaj Alam in the chair.
The meeting was also attended by presidents and general secretaries of all the teachers association from public sector universities across the province.
The participants discussed the “alarming situation” of universities created by a ban imposed on recruitment as well as the continuous alleged violation of Model Universities Act in the appointment of vice-chancellors by the government.
Condemning what they called the illegal and unjustifiable ban on recruitment in the public sector universities by the Higher Education Department, the meeting demanded of the government to lift the ban forthwith.
They expressed concern over the appointments in different universities during the past several years and urged the government to constitute a judicial commission to carry out an impartial audit of the employments made by vice-chancellors during the last 10 years.
The participants accused the government of violating the KP Universities Act especially in appointments of vice-chancellors and stressed the authorities concerned to withdraw the “illegal extension given to the vice-chancellors of the Gomal University Dera Ismail Khan and Islamia College University, Peshawar.
They demanded the government to focus the attention on solving the growing financial crisis in the universities.
Announcing protest drive in all the public sector universities, the meeting decided that the teachers would stage two-hour token boycott from today (Tuesday) and wear black ribbons on arms.
On Thursday, a protest demonstration would be staged in the University of Peshawar, to be attended by all the university teachers from across the province.
The meeting threatened to stop academic activities across the province and stage a protest camp in Banigala, outside the residence of Prime Minister Imran Khan, if the government failed to accept their demands.
Meanwhile, PUTA continued its two-hour class-boycott from 10 to 12 o’clock to press the university administration for acceptance of its demands.
Talking to The News, PUTA President Dr Fazle Nasir said the teaching community in the university was facing serious problems and the university administration was not paying any attention to them.
He said that they have sent several letters to the university administration, seeking resolution of their problems.
But the administration was giving no response to the elected body of the teaching fraternity.
The PUTA chief said they would fully participate in the Federation of All Pakistan Universities Academic Staff Association’s strike and start a complete boycott of classes in the university from Monday next if the university administration failed to resolve their problems.
